United Nations Development Programme

Energy insecurity dominates at innovative solutions conference

23 Nov 2012

Photo: UNDP India

More than 100 southern-based successes shared at global gathering of practitioners and leaders

Vienna, Austria - The Fifth Annual Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo) concluded Friday at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna having spotlighted over 100 partnerships and solutions to energy insecurity and climate change challenges. More than 20 UN agencies, governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, and academia showcased tested solutions to energy challenges in developing countries that keep more than 1.3 billion people in the dark.

Yiping Zhou, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, said the Expo was organized as a concrete response to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s new ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ which is mobilizing action from all sectors of society in support of three interlinked objectives to be achieved by 2030: providing universal access to modern energy services; doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

“This Expo is a clear indication of the dynamism and creative potential of the Global South to draw on its own resources and lessons in efforts to bring about genuine transformative change,” said Alison Chartres, Vice-President of the United Nations General Assembly’s High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, adding “The scaling-up of the many development solutions displayed this week requires strong champions, political will and commitment at all level".

Antonio Garcia Revilla, Chair of the Group of 77 in Vienna, told delegates at the gathering that “partnerships play an important role in generating political dynamism in order to achieve important development goals for developing countries through South-South and triangular cooperation.”

Of the many examples of success highlighted at the Expo, India IMPEX’s solar light doubles as a mobile phone recharger, is being distributed by UN humanitarian agencies and has improved the lives of thousands of refugees, disaster victims, and impoverished populations. “The aim is to supply over 300,000 such lanterns by the year 2015,” said Divyesh Thakkar, of India IMPEX.